Monorail Expansion Rumor Rises Again

[Onkel Hans 25]

From Screamscape:

Monorail System News - (4/5/12) I’ve heard this rumor countless times before… but a good source claims that Walt Disney World may be taking another long hard look at expanding the resorts iconic Monorail system once again in order to cut back on their reliance on bus transportation and move towards a functional mass transit network that would service all of the theme parks and bigger attractions eventually. Stay tuned.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Are you trying to get Lou going? Because I would bet an apple pie that you have succeeded.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Never gonna happen

I would much rather see individual rapid transit rail personally

[Lou... 3,118]

Because I would bet an apple pie that you have succeeded.

And you'd be eating apple right now.

That article in Screamscape was written by a complete and total idiot.

Here are some facts, but they shouldn't let that get in the way of a accurate story.

The bus fleet has been expanded with brand new buses by about 1/3 over the past five years.

Driver hiring has never been more aggressive.

There are currently dozens of brand new buses being outfitted by WDW Bus Transportation techs that will be added to the fleet very soon. That's following the same amount that were added at the beginning of this year.

All of the old buses are expected to be gone by the end of this year.

They're testing an articulated bus right now and a few of those could easily take over the role of the Express Monorail at a fraction of the cost.

The cost of a new monorail system is estimated to be about 150 million dollars per mile. That's right per mile.

Does anyone in their right mind think that Disney can justify what it would cost to do what that article describes?

It takes five times the number of mechanics to support the monorails as compared to buses.

Replacement parts are for the most part made special for the monorails and can't be purchased off the shelf.

That drives up the cost of maintenance tremendously.

Monorails are inflexible. They entire train has to be sent even if there is only one person waiting.

Monorails run on electricity not diesel fuel. How's the electric car revolution going?

Do any of those facts indicate that Disney should replace the buses with monorails? But they are cool looking.

In case you're asking, is Lou really qualified to be talking about mechanical things like monorails. Who does he think he is anyway?

Yes I can say that I am qualified to discuss it.

For those who care to know how I can say that with such authority, PM me.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

And you'd be eating apple right now.

That article in Screamscape was written by a complete and total idiot.

Here are some facts, but they shouldn't let that get in the way of a accurate story.

The bus fleet has been expanded with brand new buses by about 1/3 over the past five years.

Driver hiring has never been more aggressive.

There are currently dozens of brand new buses being outfitted by WDW Bus Transportation techs that will be added to the fleet very soon. That's following the same amount that were added at the beginning of this year.

All of the old buses are expected to be gone by the end of this year.

They're testing an articulated bus right now and a few of those could easily take over the role of the Express Monorail at a fraction of the cost.

The cost of a new monorail system is estimated to be about 150 million dollars per mile. That's right per mile.

Does anyone in their right mind think that Disney can justify what it would cost to do what that article describes?

It takes five times the number of mechanics to support the monorails as compared to buses.

Replacement parts are for the most part made special for the monorails and can't be purchased off the shelf.

That drives up the cost of maintenance tremendously.

Monorails are inflexible. They entire train has to be sent even if there is only one person waiting.

Monorails run on electricity not diesel fuel. How's the electric car revolution going?

Do any of those facts indicate that Disney should replace the buses with monorails? But they are cool looking.

In case you're asking, is Lou really qualified to be talking about mechanical things like monorails. Who does he think he is anyway?

Yes I can say that I am qualified to discuss it.

For those who care to know how I can say that with such authority, PM me.

I believe you.

[Onkel Hans 25]

I forgot to mention that we should keep this info away from Lou.

Yeah, i know it's not going to happen, that's why I added that the rumor is out there again.

[Lou... 3,118]

Nothing to do with the OT, but it's funny that you should post that picture.

I think I saw somewhere on one of the monorail bulletin boards in the transportation break room that the three branches that make up WDW Transportation share, a photo of a cat on a monorail beam. It was titled MonoCats, the name of their softball team.

Just a side note.

Each transportation dept has a couple of large bulletin boards that the CMs maintian and post all kinds of stuff relative to what's happening in their dept.

The monorail and watercraft boards are completly covered with stuff. The buses boards are bare, nothing.

I don't know what that means, if anything.

[Lou... 3,118]

I wrote Screamscape questioning the validity of that story and I couldn't believe what they wrote back.

I sent another message asking if their response was written in seriousness or was it a late Aprils fool joke.

Just a few of the silly things they wrote to me in blue.

During his recent visit, Obama told them that they could qualify for federal funds if they expanded the monorail system in a certain way.

I guess BO is a monorail expert too.

Why would a monorail on private property used only for entertainment purposes qualify for federal funds?

Las Vegas sought federal funds for the 2.3 mile, 400 million dollar, that's just under 200 million per mile, expansion and were rejected in 2005.

Because the buses at WDW run on natural gas, they're safe from the high fuel prices that we're seeing.

One big problem, Mr. Genius, they run on diesel.

Buses have had a number of high profile accidents and it's easier to prevent monorail accidents than bus accidents.

That is so much baloney.

If the bus safety record is evaluated over a five or ten year period, it's extremely good.

Over the past five years, bus and monorail deaths due to accidents have resulted in one death each. However WDW buses probably carry 10 times, just a guess, the number of passengers that the monorails do and Disney was cleared of any fault in that one bus related death. But Disney was found at fault in the monorail related death. How are monorails safer?

Disney should switch to the automatic monorails currently used in Las Vegas.

Oh ya, they're so efficient that the owners filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Oh Onkel Hans, you lit a firecracker under Lou on this one!! :rofl2:

Their reply to you Lou, pretty much confirms what I've suspected about Screamscape for a while.

A couple of years ago they used to break WDW stories ahead of other people. SOME of those stories would prove to be factual, but a good number were really just rumors that never panned out. I used to check their site often until I started to figure out that a lot of what they said was just plain wrong.

These days they are rarely the first ones to break any WDW story, but what they still do fairly often is post rumor and speculation. I think they've at least gotten a little better about saying that what they're posting is just that, rumor and speculation, but clearly based on their responses to Lou, their sources are flawed at best. In fact I'd venture to say they don't know their WDW... let's say "ankles"... from their elbows.

I still check their site regularly, in case there's a shred of truth in what they say that I can go look for confirmation of, and occasionally there is.

And it's still fun to play the "what if" game, even if you know what they're talking about is highly unlikely.

Plus it's fun to see Lou go to "Snark Factor 12" on some poor, unsuspecting WDW fan site every once in a while.

:dogsnicker:

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

I take Lou isn't a fan of the Monorail.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

Hey Lou

[Lou... 3,118]

Their reply to you Lou, pretty much confirms what I've suspected about Screamscape for a while.

Very well put Mo.

If anyone knows, you do, that there are too many WDW sites that put stories out there just to get people onto their site, even if they're fabricated.

I expect facts and official sources, not "a good source told me", which is what that writer posted.

I take Lou isn't a fan of the Monorail.

I think they are really cool looking.

[Lou... 3,118]

Hey Lou

Can we have some new material IDWD?

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

Possibly.....

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'm just guessing this is Lou as a street-tough baby, the first time someone told him monorails would be the transportation solution of the future...

[Onkel Hans 25]

Is this the monorail mascot, Lou?

Many people don't realize how long the rumor of monorail expansion has persisted. I think my Florida History book mentioned that the first record of the monorail rumor was in a letter between Chief Osceola of the Seminoles to the Spanish governor of Florida.

[caveat lector 181]

"Snark Factor 12"........ I like that

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

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Love this! :rofl2: